Apparatus for determining the strenght of cords, &amp;c.



m. 852,963. PATENTED MAY 7. 1907;

L. .E. KNOTT.

APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING THE STRENGTH 0F GORDS, &0.

APPLICATION FILED 001.25. 1906.

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THE NORRIS PETERS 120-. WASHINGTON, 0. c4

LOUIE E. KNOTT, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO L. E. KNOTT APPARATUS COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 7, 1907.

Application filed October 25, 1906. Serial No. 340,432.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LOUIE E. KNOTT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Apparatus for Determining the Strength of Cords, Wire, and Similar Material, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like letters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to an apparatus by which the tensile strength of a cord, wire, or similar material can be accurately tested. and determined.

The objects of the invention among others are to provide a device of this character which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture, which is accurate in its operation, and which can be readily taken down and packed away in a small space for transportation or storage.

I will first describe one embodiment of my invention and will then point out the novel features, thereof in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a device embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a section on the line a;90, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section on the line yy, Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the fixed abutment Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one end of the stop member; Fig. 6 is a section on the line a-a, Fig. 1.

The device which is shown in the drawings, and which has been selected to illustrate the invention comprises two standards 1 and 2, which are connected by a bed on which the registering mechanism and other parts of the device are supported.

In order to make a simple, inexpensive and easily manufactured device I employ for the bed piece two rods 3 such as can be readily purchased in the market. These rods 3 are detachably secured to the standards 1 and 2 so that the device may be readily taken down and packed. For this purpose each standard has two grooves 4 therein in which the ends of the rods 3 are received and the rods are secured to the standards by means of clamping screws 5. These clamping screws 5 are screw threaded through the walls of the grooves 4 and have beveled ends 6 which cam against the rods 3. The clamping screws are located slightly above the center of the rods 3 so that the beveled ends 6 of the screws overlie the rods whereby said screws firmly hold the rods in place.

At one end of the bed is supported a registering device by which the tensile strength of the cord, or other material tested, can be determined. This may conveniently be an ordinary spring balance 7, which is anchored to an anchor post 8 carried by one of the standards. The spring balance may be held on the bed in any suitable way, and as shown in Fig. 1 it rests at one end upon uprights or rests 9 extending up from the standard 1, and the other end is supported on a cradle 10 which is carried by the bed 3, said cradle 10 preferably being adjustably secured to the bed and being held in place by set screws 11. The cord, wire or ribbon 12 to be testedis connected at one end to the hook 13 of the spring balance, and at the other end it is connected to a drum or reel 14 carried by the standard 2, whereby upon winding the cord 12 upon the drum it may be put under tension, the amount of which will be indicated by the spring balance 7. The reel 14. is pro vidcd with a handle 15 by which it may be rotated, and has connected thereto a ratchet wheel 16 with which cooperates a pawl 17 to prevent retrograde movement thereof.

It is desirable to provide means for preserving the indication made by the registering device when the cord breaks, and to accomplish this the following mechanism is provided-Interposed between the hook 13 and the cord 12 is a stop member 18, one end of which is shown in perspective in Fig. 5. This comprises two heads 19 and 20, each provided with wings 21 to rest on the rods 3, said heads being connected by separated bars 22. The head is provided with a clamping nut 23 by which the end of the -cord 12 may be fixedly secured to the stop member, and the head 19 is provided with an aperture 24 through which the hook 13 of the spring balance is inserted. The stop member thus forms part of the connection between the cord 12 and the spring balance. Co-operating with the stop member is an abutment 25 which is adapted to be fixedly clamped to rods 3, and which carries an abutment 26 that is located between the bars 22. The abutment member 25 may have any suitable shape, and as shown in Fig. 4 in the drawing it is provided with a body portion from which rises two spacing lugs 28 that enter between the rods 3 and the bars 22, and it also has two ears 29 which lie outside of the rods 3 and through which the clamping screw 30 is screw threaded; and these clamping screws .are also situated slightly ing screw 23, and the other end is secured to the reel 14. The 'reel is then turned to wind the cord thereon and the pointed end of the wedge-shaped stop block 31 is 1nserted between the bars 22 and between the abutment 26 and the head 20 of the stop member, as shown in dotted lines Fig. As the cord is wound up the stop member is drawn to the right, Fig. 1, against the action of the spring of the spring balance, and the wedge 31 gradually drops down between the abutment 26 and the head 20 of the stop member, said wedge keeping its contact with both the abutment and the stop member. When the tensile strength of the cord to be tested has been reached and it snaps the wedge acts to restrain the spring balance from returning to zero position and holds said spring balance with the pointer indicating the number of pounds required to break the cord. After the indication of the spring balance has been noted and read the wedge may be removed to allow the spring balance to return to zero position. In case the cord or string is a very strong one and a wider-stop is required than that furnished by the wedge an extra stop block 32 may be inserted between the wedge and the abutment 26, as shown in Fig. 2. The abutment member 25 can be adjusted on the rods 3 so that it may be in proper position to co-operate with any spring balance either large or small.

It will be noted that the construction of the standards and the manner of attaching them to the rods 3 is such that a minimum amount of machine work is required in the manufacture of the device, and as the rods 3 can be readily purchased in the open market the device can be manufactured at a mini mum expense. By making the rod 3 detachable from the standards the whole device may be taken down and packed in a small compass for storage or shipment. The other advantages of this construction will readily appear to those skilled in the art. It will be understood of course that various changes in the constructional details may be made without departing from the invention.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a device for testing the tensile strength of cords, wire, etc., the combination. of two standards, and a bed comprising two rods detachably connecting said standards, with means at one end of the bed to register the tensile strength of the cord, means at the other end. thereof to apply tension to said cord, and a gravity-actuated wedge device to prevent the registering device from returning to zero when the cord breaks.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with two standards and a bed connecting them, of means at one end of the bed to apply tension to a cord to be tested, a spring balance at the other end thereof to register the tension thus applied, and gravityactuated wedge device between said means and the spring balance to prevent the registering device from returning to zeroposition when the cord breaks.

3. Ina device of the class described, the combination with two. standards and a bed comprising two rods, each detachably secured to the standards, of means at one end of the bed to apply tension to the cord to be tested, a spring balance at the other end of the bed to register the tension thus applied, a stop member supported by the bed and interposed between the cord and spring bal ance, a fixed abutment, and a wedge to be inserted between the stop member-and the abutment.

i. In a device of the class described, the combination with a bed, of means at one end of the bed to apply tension to the cord to be tested, a spring balance at the other end of the bed to register the tension thus ap lied, a stop member supported by the be and interposed between the cord and spring bal.

ance, a fixed abutment, and a gravity-actuated wedge to be inserted between the stop member and the abutment.

5. In a device of the class described, the

combination with two standards having open grooves in their upper faces, two rods supported in said grooves and constituting a bed, and clamping screws having pointed ends screwed through the side walls of the grooves to clamp the rods in place, said clamping screws being situated above the center of the rods, of means supported at one end of the bed to apply tension to a cord, other means situated at the other end of the bed to register the tension, and a stop device between said two means to prevent the registering device from returning to zero position when the cord breaks.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination with two standards andtwo rods connecting the standards and constituting a bed, of a spring balance supported by the bed at one end thereof, an abutment member adjustably secured on the bed, a stop member comprising two heads resting on the rods of the bed to one of which heads the spring balance is adapted to be secured IIO and to the other of which the cord to be combination with two standards each having tested is adapted to be secured, a reel supported on one standard on which to wind the cord to be tested, and a wedge-shaped stop block to be inserted between the abutment member and the stop member.

7. In a device of the class described in combination two standards, two rods connecting the standards and constituting a bed, a spring balance supported thereby at one end, a reel at the other end of the bed, a stop member slidabIy mounted on the rods and comprising two heads connected by bars, and an abutment member adjustably secured to the heads and having an abutment adapted to be inserted between the heads and between the bars.

8. In a device of the class described, the

two open grooves in its upper face, rods received in said grooves and connecting the standards, means to clamp the rods to the grooves, means resting on the rods at one end to register the tensile strength of a cord, means to apply tension to said cord, and a stop device to prevent the registering device from returning to zero when the cord breaks, said stop device being supported by the rods.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of 0 two subscribing witnesses.

LOUIE E. KNOTT.

Witnesses:

MARGARET A. DUNN, BERTHA F. HEUsER. 

